Enhancing Healthcare: A State-of-the-Art Enterprise Electronic Health Record Software Solution for Washington
The Health Care Management and Coordination System (HCMACS) Enterprise Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution is a transformative initiative designed to enhance healthcare management and coordination for individuals served by Washington state agencies and partner organizations. This groundbreaking system aims to revolutionize the delivery of healthcare services by streamlining processes and improving outcomes for recipients.
Program Overview
HCMACS is a collaborative effort between key state entities, including the Health Care Authority (HCA), Department of Corrections (DOC), Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), and Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech). The program is governed by the Health and Human Services Coalition (HHS) and the HCMACS Executive Steering Committee, which represents DOC, DSHS, and HCA, with the support of WaTech and the Department of Enterprise Services (DES).
Mandated by the Washington State Legislature, WaTech convened these agencies to procure and configure an enterprise EHR solution, with the plan officially approved in November 2023. This EHR system will serve as a foundational platform for data and workflow management across lead agencies, with future expansion to additional partners and providers. Ultimately, the system will enhance care management and coordination across the state.
Current Activity
HCA is overseeing the program and has submitted a budget request for the 2025-2027 biennium, seeking enhanced federal funding to support implementation. In 2024, DES completed a competitive procurement process, selecting eight potential vendors for Master Services Agreements (MSA), and Epic has been chosen as the primary EHR vendor. The program is now in the process of securing approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the vendor agreements.
The HCMACS program is also preparing a request for proposal (RFP) to identify a System Integrator, who will manage hosting, configuration, training, and ongoing support for the EHR system. This RFP includes an option to support onboarding individual Medicaid behavioral health, community health, and tribal health providers.
Pre-implementation efforts are underway, including governance planning, scheduling go-live events, budget preparation, and ensuring data privacy and security. Full implementation will proceed once contracts and funding are secured.